Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for processing configuration data sets. A computing device can retrieve configuration data set(s) from data storage. A configuration data set can include key-value pairs related to configuring a software application, where a key-value pair can include a key name and an associated value. The computing device can merge the configuration data set(s) into a merged configuration data set by at least: determining whether multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict; after determining that multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict, determining a representative key-value pair to represent the multiple key-value pairs; and adding the representative key-value pair to the merged configuration data set. The computing device can provide the merged configuration data set to the software application.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for processing configuration data sets. A computing device can retrieve configuration data set(s) from data storage. A configuration data set can include key-value pairs related to configuring a software application, where a key-value pair can include a key name and an associated value. The computing device can merge the configuration data set(s) into a merged configuration data set by at least: determining whether multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict; after determining that multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict, determining a representative key-value pair to represent the multiple key-value pairs; and adding the representative key-value pair to the merged configuration data set. The computing device can provide the merged configuration data set to the software application.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for processing configuration data sets. A computing device can retrieve configuration data set(s) from data storage. A configuration data set can include key-value pairs related to configuring a software application, where a key-value pair can include a key name and an associated value. The computing device can merge the configuration data set(s) into a merged configuration data set by at least: determining whether multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict; after determining that multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict, determining a representative key-value pair to represent the multiple key-value pairs; and adding the representative key-value pair to the merged configuration data set. The computing device can provide the merged configuration data set to the software application.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for processing configuration data sets. A computing device can retrieve configuration data set(s) from data storage. A configuration data set can include key-value pairs related to configuring a software application, where a key-value pair can include a key name and an associated value. The computing device can merge the configuration data set(s) into a merged configuration data set by at least: determining whether multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict; after determining that multiple key-value pairs of the configuration data set(s) are in conflict, determining a representative key-value pair to represent the multiple key-value pairs; and adding the representative key-value pair to the merged configuration data set. The computing device can provide the merged configuration data set to the software application.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for combining authentication and application shortcut. An example method includes responsive to a user request identifying an entity: identifying a first time period associated with the entity based at least on a type of the entity; determining, within the first time period, a plurality of first candidate entities associated with the first entity; selecting first entities in the plurality of first candidate entities according to one or more selection criteria; and providing, for presentation to the user, first user-selectable graphical elements on a first graphical user-interactive timeline. Each first user-selectable graphical element identifies a corresponding first entity in the first entities.

Abstract: A multimedia system and method for providing consistent playback performance across a variety of playback system and network configurations. The multimedia system and method includes an authoring tool element, an interleaver element, and a playback interpreter element. The authoring tool is used by an author build a presentation script specifying images and/or sounds and times for their playback. The authoring tool determines whether the images and/or sounds can be delivered for playback at the specified times within the bandwidth specified by the author. An interleaver element is used to compress and combine images and sounds data from existing multimedia data elements into an interleaved playback data stream for delivery of a multimedia presentation within the author-specified bandwidth. The playback interpreter element is used to deinterleave, decompress and interpret the playback data stream in a timed, coordinated manner to provide consistent predictable playback performance.